Through the PRIORITAS (Prioritizing Reform, Innovation, and Opportunities for Reaching Indonesia’s Teachers, Administrators, and Students) program, USAID has committed itself to encouraging improvements in early grade reading by developing grade-appropriate reading books that will enrich current classroom instruction.

Humanitarian actors continue to identify and respond to hurricane-related needs. WFP reaches more than 242,000 people in Haiti with food assistance in October and bolsters logistics operations by air, land, and sea. USAID/OFDA provides an additional $5.2 million to support emergency relief item distributions and shelter and protection activities.

The southern region of Madagascar has been experiencing a prolonged drought, amplified by the effects of climate change and the El Niño climate phenomenon, since 2013. The United States is especially concerned about the alarming levels of food insecurity in southern Madagascar where 900,000 people need emergency food assistance. The U.S. government is ramping up its response as needs continue to escalate during the lean season into early next year.

Climate impacts have affected countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in various ways, but most--if not all--have experienced water shortages due to drought. Coastal infrastructure, housing, and livelihoods will all be affected by reduced precipitation, rising sea levels, and drought. These stressors have already contributed to serious humanitarian issues, including mass migrations and emergency food security conditions in the region.

USAID has provided support to Morocco’s water sector for over twenty years. In the late 1990s, USAID improved water resources management in the Souss-Massa River Basin, establishing a model of integrated water management that is still in use today. USAID’s work in Morocco has helped mitigate climate risks by introducing new technologies and building local capacity.